Idea Submission Process
The idea, or disclosure, submission process includes the following steps:
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Submit Your Idea (Invention Disclosure)
An idea can be an invention, software, copyright or a research tool (reagent). Once logged in the Inventor Portal with your NetID, you will need to choose the best idea type.
For questions regarding which disclosure form to complete for software (invention vs. software), please read FAQs for Copyright Policy and the Inventor Portal FAQs or contact us at INVODisclosure@northwestern.edu.
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INVO will Evaluate the Invention
Our team will consider a number of factors to determine if a patent will be pursued. Learn about these considerations, as well as the three possible results of our evaluation.
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INVO May File a Provisional Patent Application
INVO will decide whether to file a provisional patent application within 30 days of the disclosure.